Airplane



March as 19260 1,578,377

' M. W. ADKINS AIRPLANE Filed August 13. 1925 W I/9 Q d ATTORNEY.

- from the wing,

Patented Mar. 30, 1926. M

iJ NIIE FS T MARION w. Anxlnvs. or

ATE

Kansas my. MISSOURI.

- 'AIRPLANE.

"To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known the LMARION AnKINs, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident able to the upper side of the wing-of an airplane, which willpresent relatively small resistance to the air in the traveling movement of the plane, which is simple, cheap to make, easilyattached'to and removed and which will afford lifting-and sustaining power.

A further object of my1invent1on isto provide a novel gas containing tank of the 'kind described.

Still another object of my inventlon 1s to provide novel means fordetacliably fastening the tank'to thawing. H v

A further object of my invention is the provision of novel andeflicient means for bracing an airplane wing. g i g r The novel eatures'of my lnventlon are hereinafter fully described'and claimed, In th'eaccom'panying drawings, which 11- A -lu stratemy invention,

"Fig.1 is a side elevation of my invention shown applied to an 'airplane of a type 1n which the'wing is disposed longitudinally with respect to the airplane. p

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, one of the. gas containers being shown partly detached.

Fig. 3 is an enlargedcross section through two of the'gascontainers and two of the channel bars. I

Fig. 4 is anenlarged perspective view of part of the wing and p'arts'connected thereto,

some of which are broken away. I

Fig. 5 is a side view' of one of the inter- 'mediate gas tanks.

the end gas tanks. i

Fig. ;7 1s a perspect ve view of one of the fastening bars.

'Fig. 6 isja perspective view of one of App'iication filed August 1a, 1925.- Serial 1%. 49,869."

Fig. '8 is a perspective view of one ofmy improvedgas contalners adapted" for use wing. v 1' Fig. 9 isatop view of an airplane of the type having-a transverse wing, provided with my improvement, part of the wing being brokenaway;

-on the type of airplanehaving atransverse Fig.- 10 is 'a'detail of the frame structure. I

Similar reference characters, designate. s1m1lar partsln-the dlfierent views.

" Referring to Figs; 1 to 7,1 1 designates I the wing of an'airplane having a single,

lon'gitudinal-wing. 2designates each of a plurality of curved transverse channel bar's,

spaced apart and mounted upon the wing 1 on the top' thereof.

3 designates vertical supporting struts, which carry the body lofth'e plane'an'd whlch are arranged in transverse rows fre- "spectively attached to the channel bars 2. 5

I 5 designates, each of two end gas con Y tainers, and 6 ea'chof a plurality -ofinter f I mediate gas containers. -The" gas containers 5 and6 are disposedi'side by side transversely across the wing Each container 6,is

'mountedon top of two next adj'acent cha n-J1 I nel' bars'2,.and is provided at opposite transverse sides respectively-with two transverse 'flanges 7 which depend respectively in'the.

two adjacent channel bars2, thus holding enabling. the rain falling on'the container thin edge terminating at the adjacent end of the wing 1, thus affordingminimum resistance to the forwardmovement of the plane. The containers 5 and 6-are arcuate to 'con 1, each "container in plan being-substantially rectangular. my 7 w f Each contalner- 5 and 6'is'prov1ded with a gas fill ng tube 8. of a typejused'on pneumatic tires. I i

For releasably fastening each' container 6 to the channel bars 2 upon which they rest, each channel bar has mounted transversely in itsfianges bolts .9 to which are respectively loosely pivoted fastening'means comform to the 'arcuate cross secti'o'naof the wing the-container from lateral shifting and. also 5 prising fastening bars 10, the upper end I of each of which has a head 11 provided with two vertical slots 12. Fastening straps 13, which maybe of any suitable material,

such as aluminum, brass or other metal,

: extendjacrossr eaclrofthe containers 6 and new straps beingusedJwhen another con- I tainer' is substituted for the removed one, YQneset of ends of the: end strapsll3 are fastened to the adjacent headsllaof the ad- 'jac'entbars 10' respectively, the straps'being extended over'the adjacent container; 5,1'Iand thegot-he; ends ofjtherstraps; being attache "to;,thegadjacent end of the wing 1; l

has an arcuatebody to conform'to th'ecam The Container 1a of my invention, shown in Fig-s58 and QfiSLaClZLPtQCl forfuse on the type otwing which extend transverselyto tlrebo'dyet the plane. The-gas container l i ber ofthe'wing- 15 with whiehvitf is used.

Each endof the container being-wedge shaped-,as shown in Fig. 8; Each conta ner 14 is provided respectively at its ends straps ldadapted to be fastened to the fiiont 76 7 Q gesfrespect-ively f th {wing 15; 'Lhe container} 1e may also; be provided with-agfilling tube8.

i As-shownin; F 1g. 9,-,the containers 14 are "disposed sideby side transversely across and resting on-the top of thewing v15 gVVhen filled w'th gas, the containers 5,: 6

v 14 ,5 which may; be made of very-light 11181231 131 such as aluminum-:01" aluminum valloy, afford considerable. lifting andssn'staining power, 1 and the containers; being metal have rigidity whiclienables I them to retain their proper form, whether filled with i gas or empty, while, reason of their disposition and form, they'ofier' a relatively cent channel bar2,

small amount of resistance to the progress through the air of the-plane,

wing, 1,,as! shown in' Fig 10,- the struts 3 may have threaded upper ends which extend through i the ing 1 and the channels 2. uts, lime-y be maime 0v 1 a Strut 3, and bearing respectively against. the under sideof thejwing 1 and the top of the adja For'fasteriingthe channel bars 2 to the lido not limit myunvention to; the structures shown and described, as many-modifications, wi thi'n't'he scope of the appended claims, may he made, Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What-I claim is1;- j V v 71. 111. an airplane, angairplane wing, a

ochannelbar fastenedto the upper side t-here-' of, gas container mounted on said channel with bar andoverlapping the channel of said'bar, 1

and releasable means" for fastening the contamer to said bar. I a 1' f2. In a pamber'd airplane, a camberedairplane wing, a channel bar fastened to the upper side thereoh-a gas container having a flange d'isposectinsaid channel bar, and

releasable means for fastening the container tosaidbar. M 7

'3. In; an airplane, an airplane wingyia channel bar fastened to said wing on the upper side thereof,- struts attached; toqsaid bar, a gas container mounted on, SflldChZL-Ibnel bar and means for releasablyattachn'ig the container to said channel 4. In anairplane, an airplane Wing,

transversefrows' of struts fastened to said wing, transversechannel bars; on the "topof Q said wing respectively" fastened to .saidrows of struts, transverse-gas containersmounted on said channel bars and provided-zeach-with flanges depend ng respect vely lnto-theftwo.

adjacent channel bars, and means for detaehably. fastening each; of; said containers ,to said adjacent' bars.- v

r 5 In anairplane, all-airplane wing, chair nel bars fastened transversely to the upper side thereof, gas containers; mounted onfsaid channel bars, each. container, 'having two flanges respectively dependingfinto the two next adjacent channel bars, and means forfl I releasably fastening saidcontainers ;toathe i tively.

6. In an airplane, an airplane nel? bar's fastened transversely to, Z the: upper side thereof-,1- fastening means vattached to channel bars next adjacent thereto'respecsaid channel bars,; gas ';eontainersamounted on said channel ,bars,[ai1d:.straps engaging for holding the latter on said; channelg-bars.

said fastening means and said containers 7 In an airplane, an: airplane wing,ehan-fl v nel bars fastened to the upper side thereof transversely thereto, gas containers mprinted on said channel'bars, each: container having twoflflanges respectively dependingyintehthe two next adjacent channel bars, {fast ening means attached to each of said channel bars,

and straps connecting the fastenin gemeans of adjacent channel; bars and extendingover the ad acent gascontainers.

8. In an airplane, anairplane w1ng,.channel bars mounted transversely on the top of .sald wing, and struts fastened to each of said' channel bars.

, 9., In an airplane, an airplane wing-,ehang nel bars fastened to tlieupper side thereof transversely thereto, g'ascontainers mounted.

on said channel bars,eaeh container having two longitudinal flanges depending respectively. into the two channel bars next -a'dja- I cent thereto, fastening bars'f -astened to each 0i said channel-bars between sai d c'ontainers adjacent thereto, and straps connecting j the fasteningbars of adjacent channel'bars and extending over the gas containers on said ad acent channel bars.

10. In a cambered airplane; the combination With the Wing of an airplane, of rigid gas holding means comprising a plurality of independent gas containers fastened to the upper side of said Wing and having their upper sides disposed so as to present together a substantially smooth upper surface suhn stantially commensurate with the Wing and conforming at its under side t0 the'form of o MARION W. ADKINS; 

